In California the dispensary culture has ONLY been interested in indoor flowers. However, having passed a law that gives counties and municipalities great latitude to make their own rules, many places have adopted regulations that favor outdoor growers. In Humboldt County, where most of the large outdoor crops went to the out of State black market, I predict permitted growers will struggle to sell their outdoor, as they will likely be out-competed by indoor cannabis produced cheaper by the black market and elsewhere. Who is this County is going to pay a higher price for lower grade pot?

The cannabis plant is notorious for accumulating pesticides and heavy metals. For example, the smallest amount of myclobutanil in the soil or from a nearby vineyard or strawberry farm will condemn you product, at least for smoking. An exceedingly common fungicide in California, it may not show up until after its been converted to resin/oil. Unable to control the environmental conditions, outdoor cannabis can also be susceptible to powdery mildew, which will also make your crop all but worthless. Given that under the current regulatory climate, you can not deduct your expenses from your federal taxes, what you going to do when your flowers can't pass a moving target quality control regime? Get caught selling outside California and lose your permit.

In California, the market price for indoor cannabis is currently two to three times more than for outdoor and as legalization floods the market with cheap outdoor, I expect this price difference to increase. As a matter of fact, after a minor cannabis land rush, forward looking Humboldt County pot entrepreneurs selling their operations at peak prices.

Although there will be tremendous rewards for those able to supply consumers with high quality cannabis products at competitive prices, legalization is bound to marginalize many northern California growers, especially since this State already produces more cannabis than it smokes. Not only do growers have to deal with insidious production problems and forecast fickle consumer demand, they must also negotiate an uncertain regulatory climate. Although the endangered species consultations I am doing for cannabis cultivation projects in Humboldt County have so far been innocuous, I predict this nascent industry will soon be exposed to the same regulatory headwind endured California timberland owners.

Particularly susceptible to CEQA challenges, I predict outdoor growers will soon be required to mitigate significant environmental impacts of cannabis odor, making commercial grows unfeasible within miles of NIMBY neighbors. Thus, a year from now, the headlines may very well read: "How Humboldt County Became a Cannabis Importer."

In California the dispensary culture has ONLY been interested in indoor flowers and dabs. However, having passed a law that gives counties and municipalities great latitude to make their own rules, many places have adopted regulations that favor outdoor growers. At great peril from NIMBY odor CEQA challenges, in Humboldt County, where most of the large outdoor crops went to the out of State black market, I predict permitted growers will struggle to sell their outdoor. Likely they will be out-competed by indoor cannabis, produced cheaper by the black market or elsewhere in California. Who is going to want to pay twice as much for lower grade pot?

Whenever activism rear its ugly face it seems common sense runs for cover. Local growers can run to the black market all they want, but who's going to buy their cannabis when you can get it cheaper at the liquor store? Seriously, I think what we have here is a stakeholder group that has gotten to used to a captive market. Within a year of outright legalization California cannabis producers will move their operations closer to main markets. There will be no need for middlemen to drive all the way to Humboldt when that can get it from greenhouse operations in the valley. Wanna be a player, in five years most of the cannabis grown for smoking will be processed into resin and sold as vape pen cartridges.

I find this reminiscent of how local bootleggers got together at the end of prohibition to demand of their local representatives protection from "Big Business", which is of course is why we still pay fifty dollars for a six pack of beer and C-note for a quart of distilled spirits....NOT! It is with a mix of glee and pity that a watch the hypocrisy permeating this budding industry. Boo hoo, I won't be able to sell my illicit weed for exuberant prices. Payroll taxes, workmans comp, insurance, WTF!?